keto
keto guide
01
do you want the bad news, or the good news?
There are many benefits to choosing a Keto diet, including healthy weight loss, acne reduction, appetite control, improved mental focus, fighting type II diabetes, gaining more energy… The list goes on.
So, lets get the undeniable truths out of the way. The bad news, Becky? We love you, and we’re supporting you, but we can’t tell you that there is a loophole for you to eat three creme filled “snack” donuts a day. We hate to break it to you John, but it’s time for you to retire your “TGIF” Friday night Tour of Italy and scandalously fruity beverage at the Olive Garden.
The good news? We’ve completely laid out the Do’s and Don’ts of a eating Keto below.
The even better news? We don’t like to be told “No,” either. There are some foods we just don’t want to live life without. That is where our recipe database comes into play. The Well Kitchen is passionate about keeping you on track, so we’re on a mission to transform your favorite High Carb foods Keto.
WHAT TO AVOID
If you’ve gotten this far, I’m sure you know that on a Keto diet, you need to avoid food that is high and carbs. The easiest way to think of it is trying to only eat real food. If it’s processed, you’re going to see a long, questionable ingredient list. Lets turn your questioning into answers, and results.
Here’s what you need to watch out for:
SUGAR
Sugar is a serious addiction, and it can be very hard to break.
To remain Keto, you need to cut out all soft drinks, fruit juice, and sport drinks. Avoid sweets, pastries, candy, chocolate, ice cream, breakfast cereals, etc. If it’s sugary, don’t eat it!
STARCH
Yams, Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. Some root vegetables are okay in moderation. – Just check the carb count!
GRAINS
You want to steer clear of wheat products, including any bread, pasta, cereal, cakes, pastries, rice, and corn. However, there are many alternatives! Check out our recipe guide for Keto hacks.
A basic rule of thumb: If it’s made with any grain, avoid it.
Yes… This does include beer. However, you can checkout our Keto approved alcohol list HERE!
FRUIT
This one was definitely the most painful for me – I LOVE fruit. Think of fruit like natural candy, and stay away from fruits high in sugar / carbs. It really sneaks up on you – It’s incredibly easy to go over your daily carb limit eating fruit on a Keto diet. Fruits to avoid include:
Honeydew Melon (5.68 g), Coconut Meat (6.23 g), Lemon (6.52), Watermelon (7.15 g),
Cantaloupe (7.26 g), Peach (8.05 g),
Cranberry (8.37 g), Apricot (9.12), Plum (10.02), Clemetine (10.32), Granny Smith Apple (10.81 g), Kiwi (11.66 g), Banana (25 g)
Remember, these are based on serving size, which can vary by fruit type and fruit size.
CONDIMENTS
It’s commonly a tradition to add sauce to your meal. The vast majority of sauces are overloaded with sweetner, sugar, etc. I good rule of thumb is to keep it under 5% carbs, and check the serving size.
If you are in desperate need of a sauce, choose a no sugar added Ketchup, Mustard, Hot Sauce, look for avocado oil Mayonnaise, and salad dressings in higher fat (Like ranch or Caesar).
PACKAGING
Check your labels! Often you will see that packaged foods are full of additives, chemicals, and sweeteners. They are processed, unnatural junk.
WHAT TO MUNCH
Eating is giving your body what it needs to function. (Don’t worry, we’ll make it more enjoyable than that) Going further, eating Keto is eating to get your body into Ketosis – Where you burn fat instead of carbs for food.
In summary, you want to eat real low carb foods like meat, fish, eggs, veggies, and natural fats. A basic rule to consider is to stick to foods with fewer than 5% carbs.
Here’s what to put on your grocery list:
SEAFOOD
Clams, oysters, lobster, crab, scallops, mussels, shrimp, and squid.
MEAT
Fish: Catfish, cod, flounder, halibut, mackerel, mahi-mahi, salmon, snapper, trout, and tuna.
Beef: Ground beef, steak, roasts, and stew meat.
Pork: Ground pork, pork loin, pork chops, tenderloin, and ham.
Poultry: Chicken, duck, and wild game (Though you may have to hunt outside of the store for this)
Veal, Goat, Lamb, Turkey*
VEGGIES
Choose vegetables growing above ground, but make sure to watch out for serving sizes vs carbs. A few choices for your grocery list include: Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, Cauliflower, Green Bell Pepper, Baby Bella Mushrooms, Green Beans, Yellow Onions, Broccoli, and Zucchini. Keto Pro tip: Fry Veggies in butter!
NUTS
Nuts can be a great source of fat, but you always have to remember that they do have carbs that can add up quickly.
In moderation, Stick with fattier Low Carb nuts: Macadamia, Pecans, Walnuts, and Almonds.
DAIRY
The higher fat the better. Get butter, high-fat cheese, high-fat yogurt (Low fat often has too much added sugar), and heavy cream (consider using it in your coffee opposed to creamer or milk). Milk should be avoided due to the added sugar content.
BERRIES
Berries are great snack-able fruits that are safe in moderation. This includes raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
Can you tell me exactly what the ratio is for the keto diet. Carbs, Protein, & fat? is there a difference? grams Vs. % or does it equal the % when you do the grams? Thanks for your help!
There are free calculators available online to help determine what your intake should be, as lifestyle, gender, weight, age, and goals are factored in.
However, generally the ratio is 5% Carbs, 20% Protein, & 70% Fat. You want to stick to healthy fats, as best as you can, so you don’t end up with clogged arteries.
Where can I find the shopping list?
What about turkey meat, I didn’t see that mentioned.
Hi James! Turkey meat is great on Keto as well. On average, it is 2.3 g of carbs per bird.
My favorite food is Hot Spuce Chi I love it in the morning what could I sub it with?
Hi Colleen! To clarify, are you asking for Chi tea or meaning Chilli?
What is BCAA’s that we are to have pre-workout?
Hi there! BCAAs stands for “Branched Chain Amino Acids.” Amino acids are the building blocks of protein – You drink BCAAs to repair your muscles. They really help with muscle soreness! Pre-workout is very helpful to get you motivated to have the best workout possible. pre workouts can be stimulate based (With additives such as caffeine) or nonstimulant. It also comes in capsule or powder form. We suggest trying to find an unflavored or low sugar BCAA and pre-workout.
I don’t see serving sizes anywhere. How often to eat etc.
The “serving sizes” will depend on you, personally! What you will want to do is start by measuring your macros. Macronutrients are the energy-giving components of food that fuels our body. They include carbohydrates, protein, and fat; this is where your dietary calories come from. Grasping the concept of macros is important for the keto diet because you need to find the right balance of carbs, protein, and fats to get into ketosis, stay in ketosis, and turn your body into a fat burning machine. Carbohydrates are the only macronutrient that is not essential for survival. Carbs are made up of sugars and starches. In order to successfully reach ketosis, you will need to limit your carbohydrate intake. For someone just getting started, 20 grams of net carbs is a great target.
i would love to know the above answer. how many grams for each should i out into my fitness pal app.
Hey Nance! Depending on which food item you’re referring to – a quick and easy way to get the correct number is to google what and how much you’re eating. A lot of the time, Google will immediately tell you how many carbs to calculate!
Coffee, I love my coffee, I drink it black with nothing added. How much coffee is allowed? I have my morning cup of bullet proof and that gets my day started.
That is a great question Tom! You can drink as much black coffee (no cream, no sugar) as you want and still maintain ketosis. Many ketoers add non-nutritive sweetener (stevia or erythritol) or heavy whipping cream as well. Bulletproof has 37g of fat, so it is a great way to start the day! I will typically have 1 cup of bulletproof and drink black coffee if I need more coffee… (When wouldn’t I want more coffee?)
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